Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, a quirky, heartfelt story about a pair of student film lovers who befriend a girl with cancer, won both the US dramatic audience award and the grand jury prize at the 31st Sundance Film Festival awards, announced on Saturday.
Thomas Mann, R.J. Cyler and Olivia Cooke lead the cast of the idiosyncratic tearjerker from director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, who dedicated the audience award to all the filmmakers and artists in his hometown of Laredo, Texas. Nick Offerman, Connie Britton and Molly Shannon also star.
“My love goes out to the entire cast and crew,” said Gomez-Rejon. “This movie was about processing loss but really to celebrate a beautiful life and a beautiful man, which is my amazing father... to celebrate his life through humour.”
The Wolfpack, Crystal Moselle’s documentary about six movie-loving teenage boys isolated from society, picked up the grand jury prize for best documentary.
“I stalked these kids on the street one day, and here I am,” said Moselle.
Comedian Tig Notaro, whose documentary Tig premiered at the Festival, hosted the ceremony.
The 31st Sundance Film Festival ends on Sunday.
Other winners on Saturday:
— US drama, grand jury prize: “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”
— US drama, audience award: “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”
— US drama, directing: “The Witch,” Robert Eggers
— US drama, special jury award for cinematography: “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” Brandon Trost
— US drama, special jury award for collaborative vision: “Advantageous”
— US drama, special jury award for editing: “Dope,” Lee Haugen
— US documentary, grand jury prize: “The Wolfpack”
— US documentary, audience award: “Meru”
— US documentary, directing: “Cartel Land,” Matthew Heineman
— US documentary, special jury award for social impact: “3 1/2 Minutes”
— US documentary, special jury award for verite filmmaking: “Western”
— US documentary, special jury award for cinematography: “Cartel Land,” Matthew Heineman, Matt Porwoll
— US documentary, special jury award for breakout first feature: “(T)error”
— Alfred P. Sloan feature film prize: “The Stanford Prison Experiment”
— Waldo Salt screenwriting award: “The Stanford Prison Experiment,” Tim Talbott
— World cinema drama, grand jury prize: “Slow West”
— World cinema drama, audience award: “Umrika”
— World cinema drama, directing: “The Summer of Sangaile,” Alante Kavaite
— World cinema drama, special jury award for cinematography: “Partisan,” Germain McMicking
— World cinema drama, special jury award for acting: “The Second Mother,” Regina Case and Camila Mardila
— World cinema drama, special jury award for acting: “Glassland,” Jack Reynor
— World cinema documentary, grand jury prize: “The Russian Woodpecker”
— World cinema documentary, audience award: “Dark Horse”
— World cinema documentary, directing: “Dreamcatcher,” Kim Longinotto
— World cinema documentary, special jury award for unparalleled access: “The Chinese Mayor”
— World cinema documentary, special jury award for impact: “Pervert Park”
— World cinema documentary, special jury award for editing: “How to Change the World,” Jim Scott
